PRST 6610

History of North American Architecture

History of North American Architecture is intended to give students a basic introduction to the historical context of our contemporary, local built environment. The course is devoted primarily to the study of architecture within the present-day boundaries of the United States, focusing on American building types, styles, and materials. The course begins with an overview of aboriginal structures and the earliest building methods of the first European colonists. It ends with a survey of post-World War Two building and development in New Orleans, including a discussion of the historical consciousness of building and development in New Orleans since 2005. The bulk of the course focuses on the major monuments of American architecture and the styles and types of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Students will study the major movements, among them Colonial Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Historical Eclecticism, Queen Anne, and Richardsonian. Important styles of the first half of the 20th century will be included. In addition to the origin and transmission of architectural form, students will study terms and materials, cultural context, individual architects, and period publications. To the extent possible, New Orleans examples will be featured.